Kevin Versus Hitman Absolution

It has been six years since we've seen our favourite follicly challenged assassin choking people, stealing their clothes and choking someone else. “The Original Assassin is Back” was the tag line on the trailers leading up to the game's release, an obvious shot at a certain hooded assassin, and is a bold statement to make in such a long absence in the fast world of video games. Hitman Absolution delivers... kind of.

Gameplay is largely the same as fans of the series will remember. Players are presented with a map to explore, targets to execute and a variety of options with which to complete your objectives. These range from turning on the gas and causing a tragic 'accident' to shooting someone in the skull with Agent 47's signature Silver Ballers. The game, as always, encourages stealth and creativity but a bloodbath is usually a viable option for the sadistic among us. Gameplay is more refined than ever before and sneaking around in cover works perfectly. Sadly though, the environments seem less creative than usual and there are less ridiculous environmental kills than in games previous. This seems like one step forward but two steps back.

The most notable change to gameplay is Instinct Mode. Similar to Detective Mode in Rocksteady's Batman series, in fact it's pretty identical, Instinct mode gives Agent 47 a sonar-like view of the surrounding environment which allows players to track enemy positions and seek out points of interest. Hardened gamers may see this as a way of 'dumbing down' Hitman but I see it as way of being the most efficient assassin possible. It cuts out a lot of trial and error and makes the game less frustrating to play. If you think it makes the game too easy, don't use it. Instinct mode is a nice improvement to those willing to embrace it.

Then there's a shake up to disguises. Disguises have been a staple of the Hitman series since its inception and, of course, they are included in Absolution. However, they are much more transparent to NPCs than ever before. For instance, if you incapacitate a mechanic and steal his overalls then you'll be disguised to everyone except the other mechanics who will see through the ruse. The way around this is to use Instinct (limited by a bar on the HUD and gained by completing objectives) which causes 47 to dip his head and slip past unexposed. Sadly, however, this renders the disguise system almost useless. To use the mechanic as an example once again, this disguise will allow you entry to a garage which will, obviously, be populated by other mechanics who will see you for who you really are. This change makes the game more realistic but realism does not always equal fun.

The Hitman series has never been known for its storytelling. A narrative has always been present but only as a basic way to frame the assassinations you have to complete. This time, story plays a much bigger part in the game but it really doesn't accomplish much. The story tries to be gritty and mature but the characters within it are mere cartoons and stereotypes. This causes the story to seem childish and I found myself ignoring most of the cut scenes. Additionally, the black humour that Hitman is known for is almost non-existent and the game takes itself far too seriously. The one thing that is improved by the greater focus on narrative is the addition of what I like to call 'levels between levels.' Between the basic assassination missions are levels with no hits to carry out but, instead, somewhere to get to. These levels can be stealth orientated or action heavy; it is up to the player. These are fun and prevent the game from becoming monotonous.

Perhaps my favourite feature of Hitman Absolution is the online integration. Every level is scored depending on how you decide to carry it out and, at the beginning of each mission, the player is presented with the average score from around the world and the person on your friend list with the highest score. This gave me a target to work towards and, if I didn't make it, encouraged me to replay levels and try out new things in order to beat my friends. This is a clever way to feature competitive gameplay in a franchise that should remain single player.

Looking back on this review, it seems more negative than I actually feel about the game. I feel insane to be so critical of such a great game. I found Hitman Absolution an absolute blast to play, I just expected a little bit more. The level designs need to allow for much more inventive environmental kills and the series needs to regain much of its sense of humour. I recommend Hitman Absolution to all gamers as you will undoubtedly have fun but, if you are a fan of the series, prepare to be slightly disappointed.